On My Watch II: Condor
by Madilayn
Summary: This is dedicated to a wonderful lady known as Paxwolf. She begged with her big wolfie eyes for more vignettes following On My Watch. She had a point, and so here's the second. In this one, Jason contemplates another Condor.


**Disclaimer**: Battle of the Planets belongs to Sandy Frank. Gatchaman to Tatsunoko. I make no money out of either of these, and am just playing with the pretty birdies.

**Author Note**: This is dedicated to a wonderful lady known as Paxwolf. She begged with her big wolfie eyes for more vignettes following "On My Watch". She had a point, and so here's the second. In this one, Jason contemplates another Condor.

I'm 18 years old, and it's quite likely I won't live to see my 19th birthday.

Or at least, that's what they keep saying. I don't believe them.

Anderson's made a big thing about how we're now a team ready for it's first mission. To celebrate it, he's given us all these reports to read. The Chief has a weird sense of "celebration".

Apparently, we're not the first G-Force team. That's a relief. I'd hate to think that somebody designed our uniforms just for us.

Typical of Anderson – that he thinks that he's doing us a favour by letting us read the reports written by the Kagatu Ninjatai. I've peeked at mine and I'm not even sure that I could read it – even if I wanted to. Whoever that previous Condor was, he had no idea of penmanship.

Or maybe he just hated filling out the damn things. Whatever.

It's not like I didn't know about Joe Asakura. Yeah. I know his name. I did a lot of research. Don't sneer. I hate going into anything unprepared, so I probably do more research than anybody on the team – other than Princess. And I bet I beat even her when it comes to weapons.

Or my predecessor.

Oh boy, have I got a lot to live up to. They kept branding him as a hell raiser, a loner with a revenge complex. I don't think so. My research shows somebody who was really private – and really good a keeping his private life completely separate from the life as the Condor. I wanna learn how he did that.

He had his reasons to hate their enemy – the Galactor. I thank god that I don't have the same reasons to hate Spectra. In fact, I'm not even sure I do hate Spectra. Not personally anyway. Not yet.

Later….

I'm glad I'm not Joe Asakura, more than ever, am I glad. Most of this file is medical records. Holy shit, was he fucked up. I'm glad I did read them, though.

I'm more like him than I thought. Or wanted to be. At least they haven't labelled me a psychopath. Yet. I can tell that they're watching closely, though. I wonder how far I can lead them on?

I can see that I've a reputation to live up to. I think that I'll enjoy being Condor – without all the medical problems of Joe, though.

Jeez, I pity that guy. Those medical reports – heavy reading.

And yet he carried on. That's what amazes me. He was in such pain, and he carried on.

Ya know, all Anderson's prattle about duty means nothing. Its just talk.

Reading these reports, learning about Joe Asakura, in his own words, makes it all clear. He knew what we're only just finding out. That it's not so much duty to a cause, but duty to yourself. I wonder if Mark'll work that one out.

Personally – I can't think of a person I'd like better as a role model than Joe Asakura. Especially when ya look past all the superficial bullshit to the guy underneath. Loyal, brave, compassionate. He was a guy who loved his team mates deeply. How it must have hurt him when he realised he was dieing. To have to make that decision to leave them. I'm not sure I could do that.

Then, to come back and feel less than human: but still to put everything and everybody else first.

That chick, Jun, she was pretty special to him. Especially after his return from the dead stunt. Lucky guy.

I hope I can find somebody like that.

It's sobering – that last report. It's not Joe's. It's not written even by Ken (who seems to be the other author of these reports – apparently Ken lost a whole shitload of bets with Joe about who had to write these things. I must remember to try that with Mark).

It's a stranger, and I'm pretty sober after it. Joe gave his life not once, but twice for his cause. And the second time, there was no coming back.

Yeah. Joe Asakura was one pretty special guy. He was a good Second. He made his Eagle look at his actions (however briefly!). He and Ken were a good team, I think.

I hope that someday, somebody will say that about me and Mark.

I'm gonna make sure I'm worthy of the name Condor. I have the heart and soul of a giant to live up to.

I will not fall.


End file.
